Smith, Young power up for D-backs

The ball was flying at Nationals Park on Thursday night, and two D-backs prospects took center stage.

Arizona's No. 15 prospect Pavin Smith and No. 30 Andrew Young each belted homers -- Young's a grand slam -- and drove in a combined six runs as the D-backs took down the Nationals, 11-6.

Both prospects helped spark their team's early offensive outburst in the second inning. Smith walked and later scored in Arizona's three-run first, then put his team in front for good with a bases-loaded walk in the second. Two batters later, with his team out in front 6-4, Young crushed his grand slam to right.

The outfielder's first homer capped a seven-run second and gave Young his first blast at the big league level since Aug. 9.

In the eighth, Smith came through with his first round-tripper of the season. The 25-year-old whacked a two-out solo shot to right-center as the last of five Arizona homers for the evening and seven combined in the game.

Thursday's performance marked Smith's first time with multiple walks in a game as a big leaguer lifted his OPS from .560 entering the night to .729 leaving it.

Here are more top prospect performances from Thursday's games:

Adolis García, RF, TEX
After losing out on his first big league homer twice via review on Wednesday, García took matters into his own hands and left the yard for his first irrefutable one a day later. The 28-year-old walloped a tiebreaking blast in the top of the 10th inning to lead the Rangers over the Rays. García has hits in all three games he's played this season, posting a .308/.308/.692 slash line through 13 at-bats. More »

Jazz Chisholm Jr., SS/2B, MIA (MLB No. 58)
After homering in a two-hit performance while playing highlight-reel-worthy defense on Wednesday, Chisholm was up and at 'em with an opposite-field two-bagger off the wall in the second inning against Miami's matinee against Atlanta. He also scored the Marlins' first run and played on both sides of the second-base bag in the field. The toolsy 23-year-old has a .386 OBP and six extra-base hits through 10 games in 2021. Gameday »

Trevor Rogers, LHP, MIA
Rogers limited the Braves to two runs on three hits and three walks over five innings, thanks largely to his continued ability to pile up punchouts. The southpaw fanned seven this time, using the strikeout to strand runners in the second and fourth innings. He's whiffed 23 over 15 innings while permitting four runs -- five earned -- across three starts for a 2.40 ERA. The two runs the Braves scored off him came on a Ronald Acuña Jr. homer. His fastest pitch of the day was a 96.7 mph 3-2 offering that struck out Acuña in the first. Gameday »

Tucupita Marcano, 2B, SD
Off to a slow start to the season in a role coming off the bench, Marcano made his first big league start and delivered an RBI double in the first inning to help the Padres open up a lead against the Pirates. The 21-year-old infielder was behind, 0-1, when he slapped a high 95.1 mph four-seamer from Mitch Keller down the left-field line for his second hit of the year. Gameday »